Module for textile machines, especially stitch-forming machines

ABSTRACT

A module for textile machines has a plurality of tools ( 2 ) with retention portions ( 6 ). The retention portions are grasped in a plastic body ( 7 ), which reaches out or embraces the retention portions ( 6 ) at one or more recesses ( 15, 27, 28 ). The plastic body serves to fix the tools ( 2 ) positionally correctly with respect to one another. The positioning of the tools ( 2 ) with respective to a dividing sinker ( 11 ), however, is effected by direct contact between the retention portions ( 6 ) and the dividing sinker ( 11 ). By filling the gaplike interstices, which exist between the retention portions, with plastic, a compact yet lightweight retention region ( 4 ) for the module ( 1 ) is obtained.

In loop-forming machines or other knitting machines, modules are oftenused that hold a group of special tools. Such modules are often securedas a group in relatively great numbers to a carrier, known as a dividingsinker, and jointly execute an operating motion, such as a reciprocatingmotion. This puts demands on the module that until now have not beenmet, or not with complete satisfaction. Such modules must hold theindividual tools precisely both with respect to the dividing sinker andto other tools needed for cooperation and with respect to one another.The precision of positioning of the individual tools is significant,especially with fine pitches, or in other words slight tool spacings,for proper function of the tools. This also applies with a view to exactpositioning of the tools with respect to the dividing sinker and othertools.

If the textile machine is to attain a high operating speed, it isdesirable that the modules have the slightest possible mass, so that theforces of acceleration and braking during the execution of thereciprocating motion will not be allowed to become too great. Theprecise support of the tools, however, must be preserved, while savingas much weight as possible. Tools that are combined as described intomodules are for instance known as closers, guide needles, knives,loopers, reed fingers, hooks, and other tools that are combined on themodule to form a comblike structure.

From German Patent DE 19803474 C1, one such comblike structure with aplurality of tines, and a method for producing it, are known. The tinesare parallel to and spaced apart from one another. They are eachretained by one end between two adhesive bands adhesively bonded to oneanother and extend away from these bands.

If such a structure is secured to a dividing sinker, the flexibility ofthe adhesive bands can cause problems. Moreover, the preciserelationship between the individual tines and the dividing sinker mustbe established by way of the adhesive bands.

From German Patent Disclosure DE 19757962 A1, a packet of a plurality ofplatelike components located side by side and solidly joined together isknown. The components have through bores through which a tube reaches.The components are thus threaded, spaced apart from one another, ontoone or more tubes. The tube is widened from the inside in a subsequentwork step, so that the individual components are seated by positiveengagement and nonpositive engagement on the tube. They are retainedthereby.

With this procedure, it is difficult in producing a packet fromindividual tools to meet stringent demands for precision, especially ifthe tools are small.

From German Patent Disclosure DE 19854191 A1, a packet is knowncomprising a plurality of flat components that are kept parallel to andspaced apart from one another by rods. The rods extend through openingsin the platelike components and are of metal, such as chromium nickelsteel or carbon steel. An adhesive is proposed for connection purposesbetween the rods and the tools.

With this structure as well, problems of precision can arise.

With the above as the point of departure, it is object of the inventionto create a module for textile machines that meets stringent demands forprecision, has low weight, and can be produced in a rational way.

This object is attained by the module having the characteristics ofclaim 1.

The module of the invention has a plurality of tools, which each haveone function portion and one retention portion. The retention portionserves to position the tool on a holder or retainer, such as a dividingsinker. The retention portion has at least one recess, which ispenetrated by a plastic body. The plastic body combines all the toolsinto a module which can be manipulated only as a unit. There is nometal-to-metal connection between the retention portions. Nor is thereany metal-to-metal connection between the tools. The plastic body has asubstantially lower weight than a comparable, alternatively usable metalbody. Moreover, the plastic body can hold the individual tools durablyand precisely relative to one another. Because it reaches through therecess in the retention portion, a positive engagement can be attained,so that the individual tool does not have to rely solely on the adhesionbetween plastic and metal, if the tools are of metal.

Preferably, the retention portion of a tool has at least one contactface that is out in the open. This contact face or these contact facesmay be used for positioning the module on a dividing sinker. The toolsare thus supported directly on the dividing sinker, that is, without theinterposition of any other elements, so that if the dividing sinker isembodied precisely and the individual tools are also embodied precisely,precise positioning of the tools on the dividing sinker is alsoattained. This is especially true if the contact faces of the tools arelocated in the same plane. This can be attained for instance byproviding that all the tools are oriented parallel to one another and inalignment with one another as well as spaced apart from one another.

The retention portion and the function portion of each tool arepreferably joined integrally to one another. For example, the tools maybe stamped parts or other kinds of metal parts. The integral embodimentof the tools avoids problems of precision in the relative positioning ofthe retention portion and function portion.

In a preferred embodiment, the tools are joined to one another solelyvia the plastic body. There is no other connecting means whatever. Thiscreates a simple construction as well as the capability of simpleproduction.

The plastic body is preferably in positive engagement with the tools oralternatively or in addition in material engagement with them. This canbe attained by providing the retention portion with one or morerecesses, which are located essentially in its central region. If theplastic body penetrates this recess and in the process fits over theedge of the recess, then the plastic body retains the tools by bothpositive engagement and material engagement. The plastic body can beproduced as an injection-molded body. The injection mold may be embodiedsuch that the individual tools remain immovable in the mold, especiallyat their support portions, until such time as the plastic body iscompleted. Very precise positioning of the tools can thus be attained.This is especially true if the plastic body does not reach as far as theouter edge of the retention portions, so that the entire edge or nearlythe entire edge of the retention portions remains free. The retentionportions can be grasped and positioned during the production of plasticbody. Alternatively, it may suffice for the retention portions to begrasped and retained on at least two opposed points of its edge.

In an alternative embodiment, one or more recesses open at the edge areprovided for the plastic body. This embodiment has the advantage thatthe plastic body can be produced separately, and the retention portionsof the individual tools are then thrust for instance into premoldedslits in the plastic body. The continuous part of the plastic body thenreaches the inside of the recess and forms the connection among thetools. It is advantageous if recesses provided on two opposed edges ofthe retention portion form the receptacles for plastic bodies. In thisway, a complete module is obtained.

In a further-modified embodiment, the plastic body can have a contactface. This may be advantageous if the special properties of the plastic,such as its internal damping or its elasticity, are to become operativebetween the dividing sinker and the tools. It is also possible tocombined the contact faces of the retention portions with the contactface of the plastic body, so that the retention portions rest at onepoint on the dividing sinker itself, while at another point they restindirectly on the dividing sinker via the plastic body.

The plastic body may be constructed of a thermoplastic, a plastic thathardens, a single- or multi-component plastic, or a fiber-reinforcedplastic. This depends on the desired production process and on theresult to be attained.

Further details of advantageous embodiments of the invention will becomeapparent from the drawing, the description and dependent claims. In thedrawing, exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. Shown are:

FIG. 1, a schematic perspective view of a module of the invention;

FIG. 2, a detail in plan view of the module of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a section of the module of FIG. 2, taken along the line III-III;

FIG. 4, a detail in plan view of a modified embodiment of the module;

FIG. 5, a section through the module of FIG. 4, taken along the lineV-V;

FIG. 6, a detail in plan view of a further modified embodiment of themodule; and

FIG. 7, a section through the module of FIG. 6, taken along the lineVII-VII.

In FIG. 1, a module 1 is shown which is intended for use in aloop-forming machine. It has a plurality of tools 2. Each individualtool 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, 2 d, 2 e, 2 f, 2 g, 2 h, 2 i is positioned preciselyrelatively to the other tools 2. In the exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the tools 2 are closers. However, they may individually also beknives, loopers, reed fingers, hooks, guide needles, or other sorts oftools of the kind needed in textile machines, as long as they execute acommon working motion in a constant relative position.

The tools 2 are embodied identically to one another and have a platelikebasic shape. In the module, they are retained laterally in alignmentwith one another and spaced apart parallel from one another, so thatthey define a comblike function region 3. This region is adjoined by aretention region 4, which serves to secure the module 1 to a suitablecarrier, such as a dividing sinker of a loop-forming machine. The tools2 each have one fingerlike function portion 5 a, 5 b, 5 c, 5 d, 5 e, 5f, 5 g, 5 h, 5 i and one retention portion 6 a, 6 b, 6 c, 6 d, 6 e, 6 f,6 g, 6 h, 6 i. The function portions 5 are each joined integrally to therespective retention portions 6. The tools 2 are formed for instance bystamped parts.

The retention portions 6 are joined to one another via a plastic body 7,which inseparably joins the tools 2 to one another. The plastic body 7is embodied such that it penetrates all the retention portions 6, butleaves their respective edge 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, 8 e, 8 f, 8 g, 8 h, 8 ifree at least in some portions, or in other words does not reach thatedge. As a result, the narrow edges 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, 8 e, 8 f, 8 g, 8h, 8 i form contact faces for positioning the tools of a module on adividing sinker. The contact faces are all located in the same plane andthus jointly form the (subdivided) contact face of the retention region4.

The construction of the retention region 4 can be seen particularly fromFIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2, the plastic body 7 and the tool 2 a, 2 b and 2c are shown. As can be seen, the edges 8 a, 8 b, 8 c are located in thesame plane E, so that as FIG. 3 shows, they can rest on a level face 9of a schematically represented dividing sinker 11. The same is true forregions of the edges 8 a, 8 b, 8 c on the long narrow sides of theretention portions 6. These, too, are disposed each in a respectivecommon plane and are in contact with contact faces 12, 14 of thedividing sinker 11. The retention portion 6 a, which in side view isapproximately rectangular, has a central opening 15, also preferablyapproximately rectangular, in the form of an elongated opening that issurrounded by an edge 16. This edge, with the outer edge 8 a, encloses astrip 17 of preferably constant width.

The plastic body 7 extends through the opening 15 and fits over the edge16 of the opening 15 on both flat sides. As a result, the strip 17 issunk to approximately half its depth into the plastic body 7. As FIG. 2particularly shows, this creates groovelike interstices 18 betweenadjacent retention portions 6 a, 6 b. The plastic body 7 has anapproximately rectangular cross section, so that the interstice 18extends along the entire edge 8 of the respective retention portion 6 aand 6 b. The same is correspondingly true for all the other retentionportions 6.

If the retention region 4, as FIG. 3 schematically shows, is disposed ina dividing sinker 11 and firmly clamped, then the positioning of theretention region 4 and thus of the module 1 is attained by means of thevirtually linear contact of the various edges 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, 8 e, 8f, 8 g, 8 h, 8 i with the contact faces 9, 12, 14. The result is highpressures per unit of surface area here, and consequently highpositioning certainty. If needed, one or more protrusions may beprovided on the contact faces 9, 12, 14, the protrusions engaging theinterstices 18 in order to effect a lateral positioning of the module 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a modified embodiment of the module 1. Unlessexplained separately below, this module matches the module of FIGS. 1through 3. Where the same reference numerals are used, the abovedescription applies.

Unlike the module described above, the module of FIGS. 4 and 5, in itsretention region 4, has a plastic body 7 which does not embrace theretention portions 6 at a central opening but rather at their respectiveedges 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d, 8 e, 8 f, 8 g, 8 h, 8 i. The plastic body 7extends as far as the contact faces 12, 14; that is, its outer faces 21,22 are in alignment with the edge portions 23, 24, 25, 26 of theretention portions 6. Between the edge portions 23, 24 on one side and25, 26 on the other along the long narrow sides of the retentionportions 6, respective recesses 27, 28 are provided, in the form ofindentations which may for instance have a rectangular outline and whichare open at the edge. The recesses 27, 28 are filled by correspondingportions of the plastic body 7, which otherwise essentially covers theflat sides of the retention portions 6. On the narrow side, interstices18 may in turn remain between the retention portions 6, so as to promotethe positioning in the dividing sinker 11. As in the previous exemplaryembodiment, the retention portions 6 are retained in the plastic body 7both by positive engagement and material engagement, as a result of theadhesion between the fundamental material comprising the plastic body 7and the metal comprising the retention portions 6. If needed, theplastic body 7 may also be set back behind the planes defined by theedge portions 23, 24 on one side and 25, 26 on the other, so that itdoes not touch the contact faces 12, 14. However, it may also protrudevery slightly, for instance by only a few hundredths of a millimeter,past these planes defined by the edge portions 23, 24 and 25, 26, sothat by its inherent elasticity it reinforces a resilient clampingaction.

Instead of a single compact plastic body 7, it is also possible for twopartial bodies 7 a, 7 b to be provided, which for instance at a centerline 29 abut one another, are adjoined to one another, or define a gapwith one another here. The plastic bodies 7 a, 7 b may be prefabricatedand can be attached to the retention portions 6 in an assemblyoperation. Fixation can be done by heat, adhesive, or frictionalengagement.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Whilein the embodiments described above the positioning of the module 1 onthe dividing sinker 11 is effected solely by direct contact between theretention portions 6 and the contact faces 9, 12, 14, in the exemplaryembodiment described above, a different principle has been chosen:

In the modules of FIGS. 6 and 7, the recesses 27, 28 are widened in sucha way that the edge portions 23, 26 of the retention portions 6 areomitted. What remain are the edge portions 24, 25, which are in directcontact with the contact faces 12, 14. Moreover, the retention portions6 are, with their narrow side, in direct contact with the contact face9. Thus as in all the embodiments described above, the retentionportions 6 are in the open on three sides of the retention region 4,specifically on the two opposed flat sides of the retention portion 4 aswell as on the narrow side facing away from the tools 2. Moreover, theplastic body 7 extends through the recesses 27, 28, and contact faces31, 32 are embodied on the plastic body 7 that replace the edge portions23, 26 of the module 1 of FIG. 5. The contact faces 31, 32 are disposedon the flat sides of the retention region 4 in the immediate vicinity ofits narrow side.

The contact faces 31, 32 protrude somewhat past the rest of the plasticbody 7. If for instance a tough-resilient plastic, which has inherentresilience and damping properties, then the module 1 can in this way besupported precisely by direct metal-to-metal contact between theretention portions 6 and the dividing sinker 1. Because of theresilience that is inherent to the plastic and that can be especiallyutilized by embodying the contact faces 31, 32 as narrow strips, highinvulnerability to tolerances of the module 1 relative to the dividingsinker 11 is moreover obtained. If the plastic is considered to beresilient, then the edge portions 24, 25 and the edge 8 form athree-point contact in the upper end region, on the narrow side, of theretention region 4.

As in the exemplary embodiment described above, the plastic body 7 maybe embodied in one piece or may comprise two parts, which are thrustonto the retention portions 6 from the long narrow sides of theretention portions. The fixation can be done by material engagement, bymeans of adhesive, or by frictional engagement. This last type has theadvantage of allowing dismantling again.

Further advantageous embodiments and modifications are possible. Forinstance, the edge 8 of the module of FIGS. 2 and 3 may be provided withone or more recesses, to reduce the area of contact between the edge 8and the contact faces 9, 12, 14. Moreover, the retention portions 6 inthe embodiments of FIGS. 4 through 7 may be provided with openingsthrough which the plastic body 7 extends. As a result, an even moreintimate bond between the plastic and the tools 2 can be attained.

A module for textile machines has a plurality of tools 2 with retentionportions 6. The retention portions are grasped in a plastic body 7,which reaches out or embraces the retention portions 6 at one or morerecesses 15, 27, 28. The plastic body serves to fix the tools 2positionally correctly with respect to one another. The positioning ofthe tools 2 with respective to a dividing sinker 11, however, iseffected by direct contact between the retention portions 6 and thedividing sinker 11. By filling the gaplike interstices, which existbetween the retention portions, with plastic, a compact yet lightweightretention region 4 for the module 1 is obtained.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   1 Module    -   2 Tools    -   2 a through 2 i Tool    -   3 Function region    -   4 Retention region    -   5 Function portions    -   5 a through 5 i Function portion    -   6 Retention portions    -   6 a through 6 i Retention portion    -   7, 7 a, 7 b Plastic bodies    -   8 a through 8 i Edge    -   9 Contact face    -   11 Dividing sinker    -   12, 14 Contact face    -   15 Recess    -   16 Edge    -   17 Strip    -   18 Interstice    -   21, 22 Outer faces    -   23, 24, 25, 26 Edge portions    -   27, 28 Recesses    -   29 Center line    -   31, 32 Contact faces    -   E Plane

1. A module (1) for textile machines, in particular loop-formingmachines, having a plurality of tools (2), which have function portions(5) and retention portions (6), wherein the retention portions (6) eachhave at least one recess (15, 27, 28), which recesses are penetrated bya plastic body (7).
 2. The module of claim 1, characterized in that theretention portion (6 a) of at least one tool (2 a) has at least onecontact face (8 a), which is located in the open.
 3. The module of claim1, characterized in that the tools (2) are retained parallel to oneanother, in alignment with one another, and spaced apart from oneanother.
 4. The module of claim 1, characterized in that the tools (2)are embodied identically.
 5. The module of claim 1, characterized inthat the respective retention portions (6) and function portions (5) arejoined integrally to one another.
 6. The module of claim 1,characterized in that the tools (2) are joined to one another by theplastic body (7).
 7. The module of claim 1, characterized in that thetools (2) are joined to one another solely via the plastic body (7). 8.The module of claim 1, characterized in that the plastic body (7) is inpositive engagement with the tools (2).
 9. The module of claim 1,characterized in that the plastic body (7) is in material engagementwith the tools (2).
 10. The module of claim 1, characterized in that therecess (15, 27, 28) provided in the respective retention portions (6)penetrates the retention portions (6) centrally.
 11. The module of claim11, characterized in that the recess (15) has a closed edge (16)adjoining its entire circumference.
 12. The module of claim 1,characterized in that the plastic body (7) is an injection-molded body.13. The module of claim 1, characterized in that the recess (27, 28) isopen at the edge.
 14. The module of claim 1, characterized in thatrecesses (28) open at the edge are embodied on two opposed sides of theretention portion (6).
 15. The module of claim 1, characterized in thatthe plastic body (7) fills the entire recess (15) and protrudes past itsedge (16), but at least at some points does not reach the outercircumference of the retention portions (6).
 16. The module of claim 1,characterized in that the plastic body (7) protrudes past the retentionportions (6) of the tools (2) at at least one point.
 17. The module ofclaim 1, characterized in that at least one contact face (31) isembodied on the plastic body (7).
 18. The module of claim 1,characterized in that the contact faces (24, 25, 31, 32) are embodied onboth the retention portions (6) and the plastic body (7).
 19. The moduleof claim 1, characterized in that the plastic body (7) is constructed ofa fiber-reinforced plastic.